"Red Bull energy drinks works for me every time I feel weak and when I feel that my energy has drained out. My intake of such drinks increases mostly during exams time, when I am stressed out and have to stay up late at night," shares Archana Shakya, 17, a student who consumes energy drinks on a regular basis.
Archana even claims to have substituted her meal of the day with the Red Bull whenever she was in rush and didn´t have time to eat. "Since energy drinks help me to feel rejuvenated, I drink it whenever I have hectic schedules and need energy to get me through the day," she says.
Energy drinks have promised users to feel more alert, energetic and productive. The youth-friendly commercials showing the benefits of using such non-diet drinks has caught the imagination of mostly the young people. Easy access to media and various sports events being sponsored by various energy drinks has further augmented their popularity.
"The demand for Red Bull among the consumers, especially among the youth, is very high," informs Shubod Sharma, Brand Development Executive of GB Marketing Pvt Ltd. Gorkha Brewery, which owns GB marketing, has been supplying Red Bull in the market since two months. "The drink, imported from Thailand, targets basically youth between 18 and 35 years," added Sharma.
Three-year-old Ranjan Ghimire, a student, who works in a commercial bank, says, "I am involved in various sports activities in college and I consume energy drinks in order to boost my performance." He further said that such drinks have actually helped him feel refreshed and energetic in the field.
"I am so used to energy drinks now that I feel I can´t perform without it," he says, adding that he uses energy drinks on a monotonous regularity, especially when he takes part in sports or tournaments at his college.
Pramod Koirala, senior research officer and spokesperson for the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control, Babarmahal, informed, "In order for any beverages to be available in the market, they have to get permission from the government and also get our approval to sell them in the market. The energy drinks found in the market are all imported from foreign countries and their health hazard is still a controversial issue since the manufacturers are not required to prove their safety and efficacy standards."
He further informed that the new directive on non-alchoholic beverages such as energy drinks has been in force since six months. According to the directive, no beverage can get entry into the market without the company submitting certified lab reports and receiving prior permission from the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control.
"We do lab analysis and research on the beverages from health aspects before it can reach to the consumers. The energy drinks that have entered the market within six months so far have all been approved," says Koirala.
Energy drinks are consumed to cope with insufficient sleep and boost energy, especially while playing games and sports involving physical exertion. They are also mixed with alcohol and served at parties.
There is no standard regulation governing the content of such energy drinks as they vary from one drink to the other. The tag or label containing information about the drink is not made very visible.
Dr Sikhar Bahadur Swar, medical officer at Patan Hospital, does not rule out the harmful effects of such drinks.
He says that though energy drinks contain stimulants such as caffeine which is a diuretic and some may even have the steroid component which gives a short term boost in energy leaving the person energetic and alert temporarily, in the long run, high intake of energy drinks invites sleeping disorders and insomnia.
He further says that the intake of such drinks may make the person feel dehydrated and lethargic as the real energy slowly drains out with water from the body.
Admits 24-year-old Shrijana Khadka, a student, "Lately I feel I have become more aggressive and tired. I am even suffering from nervousness at times. I am aware that it could be the effect of my high intake of energy drinks but I can´t quit drinking it."
"The main function of the energy drink is that it gives an immediate rush of energy because of its high content of sugar," puts in Swar, adding that energy drinks are not known to have vitamins, minerals or electrolytes except for certain brands.
"It contains high concentration of sugar, Taurine - a sulphur containing amino acid and many other components which just seems to be a spurt of energy," he adds.
Some of the simple side effects are irritability, low concentration as a result of insomnia, nervousness and ultimately, addiction to it. Moreover, young people are particularly vulnerable from ingesting these products than adults. Some energy drinks even have anti-depressant chemicals which may provoke dehydration and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
"I wouldn´t recommend energy drinks to anyone who wants to revive energy," says Swar and suggests, "People should have a balanced diet including all the natural elements, drink lots of water and fruit juices instead of relying on such artificial energy boosters."
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